Flax-cleaning machine



G. A. LOWRY FLAX CLEANING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ad o Aug. 30; 1927. 1,640,461

- V G. A. LOWRY FLAX CLEANING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet z Qwvwntoz 192 1 640 461 Aug 7 G. A. LOWRY FLAX CLEANING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1925 S'Sheets-Sheet 3 /'04|- a "192 Aug i G. A. LOWRY' FLIAX CLEANING MACHINE 5 Sheds-Sheet 4 I llll\\ Filed Oct. 10, 1925 1,640,461 Aug. 30.1927. LOWRY I FLAX CLEANING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 v Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. LOWRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T FABRICORD INCORPORATED, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLAX-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application filed October 10, 1925. Serial No. 61,631.

This invention relates to fibre cleaning machines of the type wherein a plurality of cooperating rolls are mounted in pairs for rotating intermittently in forward and back- 6 ward directions for the purpose of breaking the fibre stalks and then folding the broken or bent ends upon themselves for effectively loosening and freeing the woody parts from the fibre portion.

The specific object of this invention includes the provision of a machine of the type specified wherein the fibre stalks are positively held in a certain position against return when the rollers are reversed. This action causes the material to be folded upon itself and thus provides for a more effective stripping action of the fibrous material from the woody core. I further provide a power driven feeding mechanism which, in a preferred construction, is placed horizontally to thus positively feed the material to the first pair of rolls, which are likewise placed horizontally, thereby providing for feeding the folded and partially broken fibre stalks in sheets rather than as individual stalks, and this feeding action is effected the moment that the rolls reverse and again move forward. I further provide j means for changing the course of travel of the partially disrupted fibre stalks from a horizontal to a vertical direction after having passed the first set of rolls. Another object includes the provision of fibre cleaning means whereby the chives or broken woody parts are effectively removed.

Other objects will appear hereinafter and I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation taken from.

the opposite side of that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation showing in detail the relation of the horizontal feed and breaker rolls to the vertical rolls.

5 is a view in elevation showing the 1 drive mechanism for the rolls. 6' is a view taken on the line 66 0 Fi 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a partialplan of the rollers.

Fig. 8 is a view of the drive and reversing mechanism.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged View of one of the scutching arms. .Fig. 10 is a view taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 9.

Fig. 11 is a view of scutching blades with undulating or serrated edges. Fig. 12 is a view somewhat diagrammatic and showing substantially the positionof the fibre stalks from the feeding belt or table to the final rolls, and

Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of the feed table and first rolls, showing the approximate bunching of the fibre ready to be taken into the rolls when they are again moved in the forward direction.

Like numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the drawings, which are illustrative of a preferred form of construction, the'essential working parts are sup ported in side members 20, base frame mem' bers 21, and cover plates 22. The side mem- 1 bers are spaced apart and form the supporting frame for the several pairs of rolls, 23 23, 24;2 l', 2525', 2626'. These rolls have freely intermeshing blades 30 which engage the fiaX 31, or otherfibre bearing plant stalks for the purpose more fully stated below. For convenience of identification rolls, 23, 24, 25 and 26 will be designated as the primary rolls and the companion rolls, 23, 24, 25" and 26 as the secondary or the driven rolls. The primary rolls are held. in fixed bearings and are positively driven. driven from the primary rolls by the intermeshing blades 30 and these rolls are adjustably held in flexible bearings 32, which are properly tensioned by springs 27 and at The secondary rolls are screws 33 for properly acting on the fibrousto rotate back and forth freely about shaft 13 as the rack bar moves to and fro. A bearing roller 4% in the rack bar guide holds the teeth on the rack bar and the pinion in proper engagement. A forward drive ratchet L5 is fastened on shaft to move therewith, when the ratchet 4:5 is moved in a forward direction, that is when the rack bar moves downwards it turns the drive pinion and attached pawl 47 in a clockwise direction. The forward drive ratchet has a number of ratchet engaging shouiders at; against which the pawl 47 engages and thus causesshaft l3 and its rolls 23 to move from or in the direction of the arrow (Fig. This motion is transmitted to the primary rolls through inter-meshing gears r-S, i9 and 50 engaging the respective gears 51, 52 and 53 of the primary rolls, 2%, 25 and 26. A drive member in the form of sarocket wheel 54 and on the end of shaft ii-3 transmits forward motion to the feed drive sprocket wheels 55 and the apron drive sprocket- 56 by a chain 57 or equivalent means. Sprocket 54c is loosely mounted on shaft 43 and is provided with a ratchet and pawl 58 to thereby cause the sprocket and the feed and apron sprockets to be rotated only in the one, that is the forward direction. As the feed apron sprocket 55 is moved its drum 60 will move forward the feed apron 61 to feed the fibre stalks 31 through the feed roll 62 and hopper 63.

The reverse or backward movement is caused by reason of the upward stroke of the rack bar which then causes the drive pinion 42 to move counter-clockwise and while thus moving the forward ratchet as will obviously remain stationary and the reverse ratchet 6t on the opposite face of pinion 42 similar in construction to ratchet 45 but r-eversely positioned is engaged by pawl 65 to move the drive shaft and its attached gear train 48 to 58, inclusive 1n the reverse direction. A trip surface {36 however engages the end of pawl 65 and thus holds the shaft and attached parts inoperative during a portion of the reverse movement. Since however, the feed drive sprocket wheel 54- is loosely mounted on shaft 43 and its ratchet and pawl 58 become operative only with the forward movement the feed and apron mechanism is moved intermittently in a forward direction. The apron for carrying away the treated fibre is thus also moved at intervals, thereby affording time for the attendant to gather the broken fibre stalks and subject th material to pairs of heaters on either side ofthe machine. These heaters are driven from the drive "gear 37 through gears 73 and 74:. A shaft 75 transmits power to the second or right hand pair of heaters which are covered by plates 22.

The beaters consist of a plurality of arms '77 carrying the beater members 78. These members carry the beater blades? 9 which are spaced as shown. The heaters operate in pairs in egg beater fashion and thus effectively clean the bundles or strands of fibre from opposite sides. This construction and arrangement affords means for cleaning the :ibre and because of the number of arms and blades the speed of rotation may be decreased, thus tending to fully clean the fibre with little or no breakage of fibre. The scutching blades may be smoothed edges or scalloped. The latter form is shown in Figure 11 and desirable under certain conditions where the fibre is submitted for cleaning in bundles or bunches in which case the irregularities of the blade aid in spreading the fibre bundle so as to better reach all parts of the fibre.

The operation of my machine will be readily understood. from the disclosure-thus far given. The fibre stalks 31 are placed on the feed apron v61. This apron advances in stages and causes the stalks to be fed through the hopper 63 and between the first set of roller blades during the forward movement of approximately onehalf of a revolution of the rolls. As the material is moved forward the hopper flap or gate 69 opens and permits the materials to pass freely. During the reverse stroke and reverse movement of the rolls, the 'material is held stationary in the apron and broken or bent stalks are backed up against the hopper flat somewhat after the manner illustrated in Figure 13. The forward, movement now causes the apron to again advance and thus push the bunched material between the rows en masse and in a folded condition rather than as individual stalks. The

breaker rolls thus strike the folded fibre reverse movement of the rolls a bunching and folding is effected immediately above these rolls. so that upon the forward movement of the rolls the folded fibre is again engaged between the roller blades for a second breaking and stripping. This process is repeated with as many pairs of rolls as may be required to thoroughly break and loosen the woody core of the fibre bearing stalks, such as flax for example.

At the end of the last pair of rolls, I pro vide a fibre collecting apron 70 which is tensioned by the spring pressed pulley 8l and driving drum 82, to carry the fibre into position for readily submitting it to the cleansers in the form of beaters or scrapers;

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for cleaning flax and similar fibrous plants, the combination of means for feeding the material, a gate through which the material is fed, means for breaking or bending the material and then folding it against said gate, means for advancing the folded material intermittently in unison with the unfolded material to thereby fold more and more of the material for repeated breaking and subsequent foldmg.

2. In a machine for cleaning flax and similar fibrous plants, the combination of breaker rolls and means for feeding the material at intermittent stages to said breaker rolls, means for reversing said rolls, means for stopping said feeding means while the movement of the material is reversed, means for stopping the reverse movement of the material to thereby cause the sameto be folded endwise and means for advancing the folded material in unison with unfolded material to subject said materials to breaker action.

3. In a machine for cleaning flax and' similar fibrous plants, the combination of means for intermittently advancing material, a gate through which said material is thus advanced, breaker rolls and means for moving said breaker rolls forward in unison with the intermittent advance of the material, means for temporarily reversing said {rolls while the advance of the material is,

rial, a gate through which said material is thus advanced, a plurality of pairs of rolls and means for operating said rolls in unison in either direction to back up and fold the material in successive stages for subsequent breaking, said gate closing upon the material when the movement of the rolls is-reversed to cause the material to be bunched and folded.

5. In a machine for cleaning flax and similar fibrous plants, the combination of means for intermittently advancing material, a gate through which said material is thus advanced, a plurality of pairs of rolls and means for operating said rolls in unison in either direction to back up and fold the' material in successive stages for subsequent breaking, said gate closing upon the material when the movement of the rolls is reversed to cause the material to be bunched and folded to be fed through the rolls in bunched condition, and an apron for receiving the material and carrying it forward for feeding to beaters for removing the chives. I v

6. In a machine for cleaning flax and similar fibrous plants, the combination of means for feeding the material and a gate through which the material is fed, means for breaking and bending the material and then folding it against said gate, means for advancing the folded material intermittently in unison with the unfolded material, said feeding means and gate guiding the material in a substantially horizontal path, a deflector plate for guiding the material from its horizontal path to a vertical path and means for breaking and folding said material to be repeatedly acted upon by the breaker rolls.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand on this sixth day of October, A. D.,

GEORGE A. LOWRY. 

